The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is facing criticism for its handling of Ghana’s erratic power situation, with citizens and businesses struggling due to the lack of a coherent plan stemming from the inefficient management of the power sector.
The country is grappling with major challenges of unstable power supply, exacerbated by the government’s reluctance to communicate the true extent of the sector’s problems, including any potential load shedding. Despite the dire financial situation of the energy sector, characterized by substantial debts from both internal and external sources, the government has failed to address the underlying issues honestly in its communications.
Hon. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, Member of Parliament for WA Central and a member of the Energy and Mines Committee in Parliament, highlighted these concerns on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu. He criticized the government’s failure to provide transparent reports on the power sector’s status, attributing this lack of transparency to financial considerations. With the government owing significant debts to independent power producers (IPPs) and mismanagement exacerbating the situation, Hon. Pelpuo stressed the urgent need for accountability and clarity.
He called for parliament to summon the Minister of Energy, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and the Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide clear explanations for the ongoing erratic power supply, which is causing hardship for Ghanaians and businesses.
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also criticized the government, accusing it of misleading the public about the power situation, commonly referred to as ‘dumsor’. In a social media post directed at Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Boamah condemned the government’s lack of truthfulness regarding the situation. He questioned the justification for subjecting Ghanaians to power outages when the previous NDC administration, led by John Mahama, had ensured adequate power generation.
He also questioned the government’s claims about paying for excess power and blamed them for the situation. Dr. Boamah highlighted the disconnect between the government’s statements and the reality faced by Ghanaians, expressing frustration with what he perceived as dishonesty and mismanagement.
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